adj. characteristic of the time of chivalry and knighthood in the Middle Ages

adj. being attentive to women like an ideal knight

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English knightly, knightlich, from Old English cnihtlīċ ("boyish, youthful, childish"), equivalent to knight +‎ -ly. Cognate with Dutch knechtelijk ("servile"), German knechtlich ("menial").

Examples

I agree about atonement but think that keira knightly is a bit of a terrible actress to be honest the remake of pride and prejudice was terrible to since when is Mr Collins the sexiest person in the film.

As this passed in the French language, the meaning escaped the understanding of such Imperialists as were within hearing at the time; and the Princess, who waited with some astonishment till the Crusader and the Varangian had finished their conference, when it was over, said to him with interest, "I trust you feel that poor man's situation to be too much at a distance from your own, to admit of your meeting him in what is termed knightly battle?"

Kern does not indicate the remedy that the women sought, but his gloss of the complaints implies that it entailed a revision (certainly not a wholesale abandonment) of the agreements — perhaps, as we shall see in a moment, by creating an enforceable system of rules more sharply delineating the boundaries of "knightly" behavior.

If the sides were equally matched in strength and weapons, and if the witness in question did not know any of the fighters before, she will nevertheless redistribute sun and wind in her description if one of the brawlers happens accidentally to have interested her, or has behaved in a "knightly" fashion, though under other circumstances he might have earned only her dislike.

John de Brocas was a very thoughtful youth, very different in appearance from his younger brothers, who were fine stalwart young men, well versed in every kind of knightly exercise, and delighting in nothing so much as the display of their energies and skill.

Varangian had finished their conference, when it was over, said to him with interest, “I trust you feel that poor man’s situation to be too much at a distance from your own, to admit of your meeting him in what is termed knightly battle?”